Lost in Translation?:Multiple lenses in Business Analysis

A Five Word Framework for Business Analysis

Presented to the Open Group, London, 28th April 2009by Nigel GreenCapgemini UK

Abstract

Many of us can recall a time when a distinction was made between the hardware and

software supporting the business and the information used by the business – there was a

clear difference between IT, to describe the former, and IS to describe the latter. This

distinction is all but lost and along with it, the art of non-technical, behaviour-focused

and outcome-driven, Business Analysis.

What’s needed is a business-natural language that moves the focus away from any

technologies and towards business behaviour – as expressed in values, policies, real

world events and any type of information being exchanged. Such a language helps focus

discussion on the key outcome-affecting aspects rather than functional detail. An

example of such a language is called VPEC-T (Also known as “The 5D Lens”), after its

five dimensions; Values, Policies, Events, Content and Trust. It provides a simple and

quick way expressing requirements that feeds and augments existing methods.

This session will explain how and why VPEC-T was developed and examples of how

requirements analysis benefits from this approach.

Improving Business/IT communication

If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster

horse

Henry Ford

we need to find

SIMPLE ways

.. and focus on use -rather than inner workings

Why and What before How

Using only

FIVEwords…

Values

Policies

Events

Content

Trust

A ‘5D Lens’to look at Information Systems

Business Information

Systems

Here’s

THREEstories…

A story of joined-up Criminal Justice

(Why Values & Trust Matter)

The UK Criminal Justice Department’s Exchange

a misalignment of values

and lack of trust..

CriminalJusticeSystem

This challenge is gave birth to the ‘5D Lens’

We learnt:

Business people found it easy describe Day-In-The-Life stories around Events, Policies & Content

Important aspects of the Requirement set had been left undocumented: The Values and Trust aspects of the Information System should be explored early to avoid costly failures.

A Policy-Event-Content analysis pattern taken from Supply Chain Logistics could be applied to the information flowsbetween government departments

A story of a dis-integrated (disintegrating) bank

(Why organisational behaviour matters)

the stove-pipe bank

PersonalAccounts

MortgageAccount

JointAccount

FinancialServices

A Business Process & Information Systems Log Jam

http://www.flickr.com/photos/foxtongue/212050251/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hisgett/220279395/

We learnt:

Use of the framework was extended to become an architectural ‘style’ – much like REST only focused on real-world operational needs.

The bank’s IT department found themselves a new role as Change Enablers. They were the heroes of the day!

The framework could be applied to the Financial Sector and was applied by colleagues with very little ‘VPEC-T training’

The story of behaviour-led IS Strategy in a

Global Transportation Company

(how much should be dictated from the centre in a post major M&A context?)

+

Understanding of the Business Operating Model

integration

standardization

integration

standardization

Understanding of the Business Operating Model

Values Policies Events Content Trust

Values Policies Events Content Trust

We learnt:

The simple five word model works well across geographies

This company saw $$$+ value in the approach in relation to their M&A and divestments plans.

The framework worked well with other tools &could be applied at a strategic level

within a global firm

5D Lens and making Web stuffbusiness meaningful

The lens

can be usefully applied to

“old money” business-as-usual

Enterprise IT and…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/basheertome/2818462063/

InformationSystems

Behaviour

bringing old & new together –

both structured and unstructured

Transactions

Interactions

http://www.flickr.com/photos/syntopia/2244330735/http://www.flickr.com/photos/syntopia/2244330735

InformationSystems

Behaviour

bringing old & new together –

both structured and unstructured

Transactions

Interactions

http://www.flickr.com/photos/syntopia/2244330735/http://www.flickr.com/photos/syntopia/2244330735

InformationSystems

Behaviour

5D Lens Analysis is an 'Agile' process

Transactions

Interactions

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dharrels/2742327532/

Find out more…

IT and Business: Which do you speak?

A handbook for Information Systems in the 21st Century

servicefab.blogspot.com

www.lithandbook.com

www.capgemini.com/ctoblog

groups.google.com/group/vpec-tGoogle Search: “vpec-t”

nigel.green@capgemini.com

http://twitter.com/taotwit